Mavericks Bounce Back in 2010 NBA Playoffs, Defeat Spurs

Playing with their backs against the wall on Tuesday night, the Dallas Mavericks put together one of their best games of the series, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 103-81. Caron Butler had a career playoff high with 35 points and 11 rebounds, while Dirk Nowitzki added 15 points and nine rebounds. Playing before their home crowd at American Airlines Center and coming off of three consecutive losses to the Spurs in this first round playoff series, the Mavericks were in a win or go home situation. But now the pressure shifts to the Spurs as they will desperately want to avoid a Game 7 on Saturday.

Strong Start for Mavericks

The Mavericks started the game strongly, leading by double digits in the first quarter and 46-29 at one point in the second period. Playing with a renewed sense of urgency, the Mavericks relentlessly attacked the rim, adding an arsenal of jump shots when given the opportunity. Taking advantage of an over-aggressive Spurs defense, the Mavericks were able to drive to the rim at will throughout the game, exposing a potential weakness in the Spurs defense. Playing with a different starting line up as coach Rick Carlisle inserted Brendan Haywood at center, the Mavericks had their best running game of the series, with 23 fast-break points.

The change in starters seemed to work, as Haywood had four blocked shots (including one by Tim Duncan) and six offensive rebounds, helping Dallas to dominate the paint. Jason Terry added 12 points and Jason Kidd and Shawn Marion added 10 each in the win.

Spurs Were Never In It

The Spurs were never really in the game and even played listlessly at times. For the first time this series, the Spurs were held under 45 percent shooting at halftime, something they hadn't come close to doing in the first four games. Tony Parker came off the bench and scored 18 points for San Antonio, with George Hill adding 12 points and Tim Duncan 11 points. During a steal that extended into the second and third quarters, the Spurs were 15-of-43 (34.8 percent) from the field, adding seven turnovers. With the game out of reach, the Spurs had a chance to rest Manu Ginobili and other their key players for more than the last quarter, which should benefit them on Thursday.

The victory keeps the Mavericks' 2010 season alive. After stopping their three-game losing streak in the best-of-7 series, they now trail, 3-2, heading into San Antonio for Game 6 on Thursday.

SOURCES
Kansascity.com
Espn. com
Google News
Dallas News